Innehållsförteckning för September 2000 från MotorTrend

OK, maybe no car will ever stick to the road nearly as well as those yellow lines. After all, those lines are painted on the road. But wouldn’t it be great if such a car existed? Think about it. You could follow every bend, curve or deviation the road has to offer. Now, there may be no car that can do all of that, but there is one that comes pretty darn close, the Corvette® with its available Active Handling System. What exactly is Active Handling? Well, it’s not an antilock brake system (ABS). And it’s not Traction Control. But Active Handling does utilize both systems to assist drivers by minimizing the difference between where they want the car to go and where the car is actually going. How does…

future forecast Late to enter the realm of lux trucks, BMW is readying a major nevy-product offensive to make up for lost time. Using its acclaimed X5as a starting point, the German automaker will broaden its lineup with several new active-lifestyle vehicles. Prototype versions of an M-spec model and a long-wheelbase X5 have been spied testing in Europe and should be on sale in the States sometime in ’01. Another safe bet is a multiuse “soft-roader” spun from the new 330Xi Touring. In the ’03-’04 window, expect X3 and X7 “sport activity vehicles” to join the firm’s lineup. The former may share some common engineering elements with the next-generation 3 Series; the latter will be an even larger variation on the X5-stretch theme. Not yet finalized—but undergoing some very serious…

There’s a new supercar in the wings that’s aiming to take on the world’s best. Warren Mosler, builder of the quick but quirky Consuliers and Moslers, is teaming with the computer-design pros at Unigraphics Solutions to produce this 650-plus-hp composite-chassis mid-engine road rocket, code-named MT900. The M is for Mosler, T for Unigraphics designer Rod Trenne, and 900 for the weight goal in kilos. Rumor has it the MT900 ultimately may wear the Consulier nameplate when it finally does go into limited production status. Trenne styled the mid-engine coupe entirely in cyberspace with Unigraphics software. The car went from math data to highway without the use of drawings or clay models. The composite bodywork (including nonstressed carbon-fiber front and rear sections) is designed to attractively reflect light, regardless of…

When Aston Martin first showed Project Vantage at the ’98 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, it called the car a realistic harbinger of things to come. This fall, the firm makes good on that promise, as a production version of the high-energy concept GT arrives in the flesh. Developed under the code-name V03 and seen here undergoing final shakedowns tests in Europe, the nascent Aston seeks to vanquish its competition with absolutely stunning all-around performance. A-M remained remarkably true to the original Project Vantage vision with this still-unnamed supercar. While the auxiliary lighting units in the front fascia have grown slightly from the concept vehicle’s, all basic body lines, including the aggressive rear fender bulges, transfer largely intact. Penned by Ian Callum, who also designed the original…

■ Dodge Durango ■ Ford Escape ■ Infiniti QX4 ■ Jeep Wrangler ■ Lincoln Navigator ■ Mitsubishi Montero ■ Nissan Xterra Call us nuts. You’d be right. Every year at this time, during the hottest part of summer, we leave our sumptuous Beverly Hills-adjacent offices for what is simply the most inhospitable place in North America. Yeah, Death Valley. You know, temperatures as hot as the Sahara Desert (134-is the record), humidity hovering around 1 percent, howling sandstorms, cranky rattlesnakes, deadly flash floods, bottomless-pit shaft mines, below-sea-level sink holes, and other fun stuff. It’s a strange and wonderful place that makes the ideal torture test ground for sport/utility vehicles. Last year’s test focused on luxury ’utes, so this time we ordered a cross-section of types, sizes, attitudes, and prices. On…

The newest entry in our group—the Ford Escape—was also the only “crossover-type” SUV to make the trip. Developed on a new Mazda-engineered platform (that’s also shared with the Mazda Tribute), the Escape rides on a carlike unibody chassis with MacPherson strut four-wheel independent suspension. It includes an all-wheel-drive system with no low-range transfer case as on the real 4x4s. Like other car-based adventure vehicles, the Escape is more of an all-weather on-road vehicle or light-duty off-roader, rather than a serious offroad warrior. With less ground clearance, it was the only one that got hung up on a rock and had to be pulled off. Our preproduction-model Escape also had a harder time in the severe temperatures of Death Valley. After being left idling during midday heat, it began sprouting mysterious…

People’s first response to the Navigator is always the same, some expletive-laden version of “My god, that thing’s huge!” Truly, at over 3 tons in heft and nearly 7 feet tall, this super-luxo gas-slurping, 300-hp $55,000 mega-ute is a blatant tribute to the wretched excesses of the NASDAQ heyday. Viewed under the rubric of any fiscal, social, or environmental logic, it makes absolutely no sense at all. Yet, this megaladon of SUVs is selling as fast as they can make ’em, quite often to buyers who drown them in aftermarket gold trim and bolt on $5000 sets of 20-in. alloys. So, how could anything this flagrantly lavish, this uncaringly obese, be worth a damn in Death Valley? To the surprise of literally everyone, once you get past the intimidation factor…

According to the NHTSA, there is one factor common to all who died as the result of an airbag deployment. It was not height, weight, sex, or even age. It was that they were too close to the airbag when it deployed—and far too many of those who died were unrestrained by a seatbelt. Here are a few tips to make the most of your vehicle’s passive safety equipment: ■ All passengers need to wear seatbelts. Period. The lap belt rides on the hips, not over the abdomen. ■ Whenever possible, children under 12 should ride in the rear seat. ■ Children in rear-facing safety seats should never be placed in the front passenger seat of an airbag-equipped vehicle. Their heads are positioned too close to the airbag cover. ■…

ShowStoppers Start planning now! The 2000/2001 auto show season is almost here, and this year there will be over 15 Motor Trend International Auto Shows—organized in conjunction with Liberty Productions—from coast to coast. In addition to the latest models, you’ll find eye-catching concept cars, race cars, and special promotions. For more information, check www.autoshowusa.com. TAMPA, FLORIDA November 2-5 Tampa Bay International Auto Show Tampa Convention Center Tampa, Florida ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA November 8-12 California International Auto Show Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim, California ORLANDO, FLORIDA November 22-26 Central Florida International Auto Show Orange County Convention Center Orlando, Florida PHOENIX, ARIZONA November 23-26 Arizona International Auto Show Phoenix Civic Plaza Phoenix, Arizona LAS VEGAS, NEVADA November 24-26 Motor Trend International Auto Show Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada MOTOR TREND Design Contest…

‘99 Mercedes-Benz CLK430 We continue to have problems finding the keys to Mercedes’ muscular performance coupe—staffers tend to pocket them, then the car disappears. It’s really popular! The CLK has been the transport of choice for fast, medium-distance trips lately; 250-mile stints yielded such comments as “At first, the seats seemed overly firm, but after a long stretch on the highway, my back appreciated their support.” The CLK draws looks, and prime parking spots from appreciative valets: “Got a million compliments on styling, no doubt due to this car’s color combo.” People also guess the price as a lot higher than it is. Rearseat passengers enjoy decent headroom—especially for a car with such an aggressively sloped rear window. And the motorized tracks that move the front seats forward certainly aid…

Recently snapped sans camouflage, Cadillac’s latesi Escalade gains a new level of style and sophistication for the 02 season. The heart of the transformation involves moving this full-size luxury ‘ute off the General’s “old” truck platform and onto the all-new GM1800 underpinnings. Although its Chevrolet and GMC counterparts also now enjoy the benefits of this major undercarriage upgrade, the Escalade will distance itself visually from the Tahoe and Denali with unique front sheet-metal set off by a grille and headlamp treatment reminiscent of Cadillac’s lmaj show Car. Powering the 02 Escalade is a potent 6.0L/325-hp OHV Vortec V-8 teamed with an electronically controlled four Speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. Rounding out the drivetrain hardware is Cadillac’s transparent Auto Track four-wheel-drive system Like the current Escalade, this successor…

Volkswagen’s bold foray into the world of sport/utility vehicles remains nearly two years away from production. But, as this computer-enhanced photo spun from a recent prototype sighting indicates, it should possess a formidable blend of style and comfort to match its all-terrain capability. Although sharing a monocoque unibody structure with its Porsche Cayenne counterpart, this as-yet-unnamed VW will have its own distinctive sheetmetal and a unique interior treatment that uses several elements also slated to appear in the firm’s upcoming D1 super-luxury sedan. Engine choices in the U.S. are believed to include a 200-hp version of the 2.8L VR6, a 230-hp/3.2L V-6, a 280-hp/3.7L W-8, and a range-topping 5.6L W-12 that cranks out some 420 horses. Both six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions are destined to be part of…

For most owners of pricey SUVs, “off-roading” is a gravel road to the stud farm or a snow driveway at the chalet. So we were bowled over by the super-luxo QX4’s real-world boonie-bashing prowess. For ’01, power has increased by a whopping 70 horses over the previous year QX4, raising output to 240 hp from an all-aluminum 3.5L DOHC V-6. This QX4 was quicker than last year’s. Once to the shifting sands, it proved the merits of the Nissan Pathfinder-shared platform, soldiering further up treacherous trails than most other sport/utes in our caravan. We tackled one of the few trails that warned “4wd Only” in two-wheel drive without problem, confidently climbing loose-rock-peppered hills. More insidious, unmarked areas required us to simply twist the dashboard-mounted dial from 2wd to 4LO. Although…

The stout heart of every Dodge Ram pickup is massive Magnum’ power. In fact, the Ram lineup is, overall, the most powerful line of pickups on the. road. Choose a torquey 13.9 liter V-6, a 5.2 liter. 230-horsepower V-S, a 5.9 liter, 245-horsepower V-8, or a pavement-ripping, 310-horsepower, 8 liter V-10.* Truckers who spit and wear work boots can opt for an HO 5.9 liter Cummins Intercooled Turbo Diesel* that produces up to 505 Ib-ft of torque and 245 horsepower. The HO diesel is mated with a six-speed manual transmission. Like other Dodge Dakota models, the new Dakota Quad Cab™ delivers big-truck capability and oversize fun in a compact truck. Available Magnum power is one of the big sticks Dakota uses to clobber the compact truck competition. Dakota V-8 options…

Luxury sport coupes are not about big-family toting, cargo space, dual-sliding doors, roof racks, 48 cupholders, or a third row of seats. With few exceptions-coupe or couture-roominess, utility, and practicality take a back seat to fashion and fun. A great coupe should be a roadgoing statement about personal luxury-before the babies arrive or after they’re away at college. Although we’re aware of the market share gobbled by truck, DaimlerChrysler says coupes still represent a healthy 12 percent of total passenger-car sales. Makers are betting that soon those 75 million baby boomers will get tired of their oatmeal-banana bespattered handy vans and muddy, rugged sport/ute haulers as kids grow up and (hopefully) move out. For this test, we took two of the sporty front-drive-coupe scene’s fresher faces, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo…

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Shark Attack! Most Corvette fans are familiar with the ’65 Mako Shark II concept car. Less well known is its predecessor, the XP-755, which began the family name lineage and helped set the styling stage for the production ’63 Sting Ray. Inspired and expedited by GM design don Bill Mitchell, the XP-755 was penned by another legendary designing man, Larry Shinoda. It was dubbed the Corvette Shark when unveiled at the ’62 New York Auto Show, but officially renamed Mako Shark I when the MS II turned up three years later. Revised several times over the years, the original XP-755 seen here boasted some pretty trick hardware to complement its dramatic bodywork, chrome-plated side exhausts, and signature blue-over-white paint scheme. Motivation was provided by a supercharged 327-cid V-8 fed by…

The houses of Pininfarina and Ferrari have enjoyed a long and illustrious history dating back nearly five decades. Most recent evidence of that dynamic relationship is this stunning concept car, the Rossa. A seamless blending of the past and the future, the Rossa is based on a current 550 Maranello platform, but sports tautly sculpted bodywork that pays direct homage to the unique lines of Ferrari’s original ’58 Testa Rossa. Inside, this highly stylized two-seat spider continues in the spirit of modern minimalism. All the exposed hard surfaces are finished in body color, while the lightweight carbon-fiber bucket seats and door panels get trimmed in a contrasting argent. These, in turn, are separated by a wide center tunnel that is crowned with a classic chrome-plated Ferrari shiftgate. Effectively comple-menting…

Say goodbye to the Chevy Blazer and GMC Jimmy. For the ’02 model year, the General’s compact SUVs will be rechristened TrailBlazer and Envoy. This process entails far more than just a mere name change. Like the previously shown ’02 Oldsmobile Bravada, these two players will share the new GMT360 platform. Built around a much stronger chassis with hydroformed side rails and eight crossmembers, it also incor-porates new front and rear suspension designs to help improve ride and handling characteristics. As in the past, both two- and four-wheel-drive versions are in the design brief of each line. Underhood, the TrailBlazer and Envoy will be fitted with GM’s new 4.2L DOHC inline six. Smooth and torquey, it’s set to produce just over 250 hp and will nestle in a trick hydro…

Way back in our April 95 issue, we blew the lid off the top-secret Corvette C5 project. Within seconds of that issue hitting the streets, our editorial offices were deluged with angry phone calls from high-powered GM execs, frantic Corvette Team engineers, tight-jawed corporate marketing people, and anyone else above janitorial level at Chevrolet who wanted to know just “how in the hell” did-we get our (highly accurate) information?! Well, hang on, because history is about to repeat itself. Motor Trend’s spies, sleuths, and covert Operatives have uncovered plenty of juicy information about the next-generation Corvette. Yeah, the super-hot 2004 C6. Codenamed the GMX 245, the C6 will be a substantial engineering and styling refinement, not an all-new platform. This plan is somewhat reminiscent of the transition from the °63-’67…

Funny thing: While the Motor Trend guys were crawling all over the other SUVs in this test, I was drawn to the Wrangler right away. I’m not a motor journalist. I’m an actor. So I tend to express myself in feelings, not facts. The feeling was an appreciation for how elemental the Jeep Wrangler is compared to all the other SUVs we brought to Death Valley to torture. It seemed all there was to it were wheels, a motor, and some seats. I like that simple honesty. Unlike the Hummer that we tested last year, with the Wrangler what you see is exactly what you get. It’s simple and very old-fashioned—and for that reason, a lot of fun. It drives exactly as you’d expect: rough, rattley, bouncy, noisy, and not…

Forget about the Montero’s 17 years’ worth of Paris-to-Dakar trophies. Never mind about over 500,000 in total Montero sales. Mitsubishi scrapped it all to design a new Montero that’s an even better, more rugged, and higher-lux desert rat. Visually, the ’01 Montero has new sheetmetal wearing side scallops, bulging fender flares, and aggressive rolling stock. Single-piece side body panels that replace the previous eight-piece design not only generate improved crash safety, but help eliminate irritating squeaks and wind noise. There’s no mistaking the bold look of the new Montero with its increases in wheelbase (2.2 in.), width (4.0 in.), and height (1.8 in.). Underneath is clean-sheet, as well. The old frame design was tossed in favor of an all-new unitized chassis that teams with a new fully independent front double-wishbone/coil…

OVEN-BAKED ’UTES We were just finishing our four days of trail-bashing, suspension-pounding, tire-ravaging off roading during a record heat wave when it hit me: The most amazing thing of all. Here we were hauling collective ass along a lengthy stretch of Death Valley desert highway at wide-open throttle, A/Cs on max, with a 120°-plus outside temp and a good 25 mph headwind. Up a machinery torturing 10-mile grade on one side, down a steep brake-frying descent on the other, then flat-out across 30 miles of the most desolate sun-ravaged blacktop you’ll ever likely meet. Then we did the toughest test of all—we stopped. From a full performance run to parked and shut off. We waited. We watched the gauges. We crawled underneath. We sniffed the air for trouble. As little…

God made Black Rock Lake for the Porsche 911 Turbo. Or perhaps it’s the other way around. Anyone can drive as fast as he chooses, any time he wishes, on the powdery-dry Black Rock lakebed. Neither the state of Nevada nor the U.S. Government’s Bureau of Land Managemend gives a whit. No need to ask permission of forgiveness. Just stand on it, due. But make sure it’s not flooded or occupied with land-speed-record attempts, large-scale amateur rocketry, campers, wind-sailors, or clothing-optional festival-goers. And understand its surface: is less like pavement and more like a freshly lowed field and that the nearest EMT is 30-minute helicopter ride away. We went to Black Rock for Porsche’s U. 8. ress introduction of the new-generation 911 Turbo. (See our May issue for our first-drive…

WARNING Children Can Be KILLED or INJURED by Passenger Air Bag. The back seat is the safest place for children 12 and under. Make sure all children use seat belts or child seats. AVERTISSEMENT Les enfants peuvent 6tre TUES ou BLESSES par le coussin gonflable du passager. La banquette arriére est la place la plus sécuritaire pour les enfants de 12 ans et moins. S’assurer que tous les enfants portent leur ceinture de sécurité et utilisent des siéges d’enfant. AIRBAGS ARE STRONG MEDICINE for vehicle crashes—sometimes maybe too strong. However, the hard laws of physics can’t be denied. An airbag ~ deployment by its very nature is an extremely violent event. Get a clue: That’s not a feather pillow gently unfolding from your steering wheel. But it can definitely save…

COMPARISON: 2000 BMW 328i Sport 2000 Cadillac Catera Sport 2001 Lexus IS 300 IT’S BEEN RUMORED FOR YEARS, EXPECTED for months, and it’s finally here—a compact Lexus sport sedan to go up against the reigning “alpha-car” of the breed—the BMW 328i Sport. But does the German sedan still live up to its hard-earned reputation? Is the Japanese car’s sporting motivation driven enough, and its hardware dedicated enough to compete? Or is it a copy cat, a poseur, or near miss? We wanted to find out. We also tossed a German-American sport sedan in the midst of this feud to see how it compared to the two obvious contenders. Built in Germany, the Cadillac Catera Sport model finds its per set to be formidable competiton. So which is the fastest, the…

With the single-minded intent to turn the performance knob past an indicated 10 to say, “11,” both the Audi TT Quattro and Porsche Boxster S resemble their tamer standard-issue siblings, but as we learned, looks can be deceiving. Subtle clues only hint at the superiority of the Quattro and S model variants, but driving either one instantly shows how much more each car really is. We chose to compare these two because they’re both obviously German roadsters, both are at the top of their respective model lines, and both feature high-output engine and suspension/drivetrain options. Besides, we had to find out if the lower-priced TT roadster had a comparable performance/dollar/fun-factor relations to the Boxster S. When Audi first showed the avant-garde mechanically inspired TT concept at the 95 Frankfurt Auto…

At the moment, the Mercedes-Benz ML55 is the hottest factory-offered spor/utility you can buy. It runs 0-60 in 6.3 sec, numbers that used to be strictly musclecar territory. But inasmuch as AMG only fashions 500 or so a year for U.S. consumption, this is a rare piece. If you already own an ML320 or ML430 and are looking for more, Lorinser (sold in the States by CEC) can help. We recently tested the Lorinser/CEC-modified MLK43, which incorporates a comprehensive list of interior, exterior, engine, and suspension mods. The centerpiece of the power package is a Vortech-sourced supercharger kit. It boosts the ML430’s output from the stock 268 hp to a claimed 360, which knocked 0.5 sec off the 0-60mph time. CEC swapped the standard 17-in. wheels for a set of…

The radar-equipped backup alert systems avail-able on today’s luxury cars are a real aid for tight parking, warning drivers of solid objects that are close to the vehicle’s rear bumper. Now with today’s aftermarket kits, any car can have a similar feature. Plus, by using ultrasonic signals instead of radar, the price is a lot more affordable. With both of the systems we tried, sensors are mounted on the rear of the vehicle, while a control box and beeper are mounted inside the car. The whole system is wired into the backup light circuit, so when the transmission is shifted into reverse, the system is activated. ReverseGuard This system cleverly I integrates four sen-sors into a license-plate frame, which I makes a clean installation without that “add-on” look. It pro-1…